Living with the Brockmans
by MischiefManaged1808
Summary: A collection of one-shots based on memories that Pete and Sue refere to in the show. E.g. Progectile vomitting at St. Pauls cathedral, when Jake broke his collar bone in a race down box hill, etc. Rating because I'm paranoid :P
1. St Paul's Cathedral

**A.N: Hiya this is my second story on and my first on outnumbered, (which I have recently become addicted to :P ). Please try to be nice but any critical reviews are good because they will help me improve my writing. Basically this will be a series of one-shots of scenes which Pete and Sue mention in the T.V show but never really expand on, and just before the story starts at the top of the page but under the A.N and the disclaimer I'll write in italics where the idea was taken from. Well, enjoy and thanks so much for reading ****J**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own outnumbered, but I wish I did ;)**

St. Paul's Cathedral (series 1 episode 3)

_After returning from Karen's birthday at an urban farm, Pete rested his head on the steering wheel. "Do you know," he groaned, "that was possibly the worst family outing ever. Well, apart from the bird sanctuary."_

_Sue sighed. "That incredibly rare duck... Ex-duck…"_

_"Then, of course there was St. Paul's Cathedral," Pete added. "Projectile vomiting in the whispering gallery."_

"Are we there yet?" Ben moaned.

"No." Pete replied shortly.

"Erm, Mummy?" Karen looked up from the picture book she had been studying for the past half hour.

"Yes, darling?" Sue sighed.

"How far away are we?"

"Why?" Sue looked at her daughter in concern. "I thought you were happy reading your rabbit book."

"Well I was, but now I really, really, really need a wee!" Karen exclaimed, shifting uncomfortably from side to side.

"And I'm hungry!" Ben added.

"Well it's your own fault for not eating breakfast, isn't it?" Pete muttered, glancing at his seven year old son's reflection in the mirror.

"But I hate bran flakes." Ben complained, sticking his tongue out at his father.

"I don't care, and by the way if I catch you doing rude hand signals to the driver behind again, I'll feed you nothing but bran flakes for the rest of your life!" Pete scolded, wishing he hadn't agreed to come on this trip.

Ben chuckled.

"Mummy I do still need the toilet you know!" Karen cried, unhappy about being forgotten.

"Yes, sweetheart, we'll stop at the services in a minute." Sue checked her watch. "Actually Pete, it is almost lunch time. Do you reckon we should get some food there?"

"Pete raised his eyebrow. "Sue, just this morning you were telling me how dodgy service station food is, and how you want them all to close down."

"Yes well, beggars can't be choosers," she said briskly. "Jake, are you hungry?" She addressed her eleven year old son who had the unfortunate job of sitting in between Ben and Karen.

"He can't hear you." Karen informed her mother somberly.

"Jake? Are you listening to me? God, he's got those blasted earphones in again. Jake!" Sue sighed in exasperation.

"Do you want me to hit him for you, mum?" Ben offered cheerfully.

"No thank you, Ben." Sue said quickly.

Karen, who had been sitting quite contently beside Jake, pulled out his left earphone. "Jake!" She screamed down his ear.

Jake jumped, glaring at Karen. "What?" He snapped irritably.

"Mum wanted to know if you were hungry." Karen smiled sweetly.

"Dunno… A bit." He shrugged, before putting his earphones back in.

"That was helpful." Sue muttered under her breath.

"Don't put your headphones back in now, Jakester – we're just pulling up at the services!" Pete warned.

"Alright!" Sue said. "Everybody out! Jake, help Karen with her seatbelt, will you?"

They stepped out of the car. "Sue," Pete pulled his wife aside for a moment and murmured in her ear, "Do you really think this was a good idea? Taking the kids this far away just to look at a bor- I mean, a cathedral they won't even find interesting?"

"Pete, you know how much this means to me. And anyway, you can talk – you were as into the idea as I was." Sue defended herself.

"Yes, but as soon as I stepped into the car I started having my misgivings." Pete sighed. "I mean, think about it – Ben will be climbing over the altar, Karen will be traumatizing the vicar and Jake's phone will probably go off halfway through the service. And then-"

"Ben!" Sue interrupted. "Get out from under that car right now! Come on, we're going in now… Karen, hold my hand, we're in a car park remember…"

"Ben, have you got your seatbelt on?" It had been an hour since the stop at the services, and Pete was starting to feel suicidal.

"Yes." Ben lied.

"No you haven't," Pete shook his head at his mischievous son. "Jake, make sure Ben's got his seatbelt on, ok?"

"Alright," Jake muttered, bending over his brother. "Keep still, Ben!"

"Ben, don't you put that screwdriver anywhere near your brother's eye!" Sue called sharply. "In fact, just give that screwdriver here."

"No!" Ben shouted stubbornly.

"Ben, you give that screwdriver to mummy right now!"

"Are you deaf?" Ben held the screwdriver over his head triumphantly. "I said no!"

"Right, that's it" Pete had reached the end of his patience. "I'm coming over!" He reached down to undo his seatbelt, but Sue grabbed his hand quickly.

"Calm down, Pete. I'll tell you what, Ben – how about you give me the screwdriver and I'll buy an ice cream?"

"Ok!" Ben sounded chuffed as he handed over his precious screwdriver, a wide grin plastered on his face.

"What? Mummy that's not fair!" Karen squealed indignantly. "I want an ice cream too!"

"Ok, you'll all have ice creams." Sue was beyond caring now.

"I want chocolate!"

"I'm having mint choc chip!"

"Alright, calm down. So we've got one chocolate, one mint choc chip and – Jake what flavor do you want?"

"Don't want any." Jake muttered.

"Are you sure?" Pete looked at his son in concern.

"Tummy ache." Jake groaned.

"Well, ok." Pete said. "We're just about to park up I think.

Jake nodded queasily.

"Come on, kids," Sue said once they had stopped in the car park, "Auntie Angela and Grandad are meeting us in the park next to the cathedral."

"Will the ice cream van be there?" Karen jumped out of the car eagerly.

"I hope so, dear." Sue grimaced at the thought of the tantrums that would be thrown if there was no ice cream.

Ben and Karen raced off in the direction of the park, their shadows mingling together as they jumped and shouted in glee.

Pete turned, noticing as he did so that Jake was still stood by the car, looking around seriously.

"You alright, Jakey?" Pete asked.

Jake shook his head unhappily.

"Stomach still giving you grief?" Pete didn't know if he was approaching this the right way. Then again, there was a lot of things he didn't know when it came to Jake.

"I've got a headache as well."

"Oh."

"And I feel really dizzy."

"Right." He never was good at lying.

"And I'm freezing."

"Right, Jake, that's it!" Pete could take it no longer.

"What?" Jake looked bewildered.

"Look, I know you don't want to be here – neither do I! But you can't just lie about feeling a bit poorly and expect to be taken home. Freezing indeed – its baking here! Its 24 degrees, people are walking around in shorts and t-shirts! You're getting as bad as Ben-"

"-Dad…"

"Don't interrupt! Today is very important for you mother and Auntie Angela and Grandad because this was your Grandma's favourite church. They've come here to remember her, so it is very selfish of you to try to ruin the day. I've had enough of you! You're supposed to be responsible and you're supposed to know better!" Pete seethed, almost surprising himself with the sudden burst of anger that seemed to have sprung from nowhere.

Jake flinched back from his father's harsh words, his expression changing rapidly from hurt to anger and back again. "Oh, so I'm the responsible one, am I? So its ok if Ben threatens me with a screwdriver, or if Karen slaps Auntie Angela in the face when she bends down, like she's just done right now, but if I say I don't feel well – which I don't – then that's way over the line? Oh yeah, that makes perfect sense!" Jake yelled sarcastically.

"Right, I've had more than enough of your attitude, young man! I'm confiscating your iPod until you apologise."

"Apologise for what?" Jake stomped off in the direction of the rest of his family before his father could answer.

"Alright, Jakey?" Angela asked as soon as he approached.

"Yes thanks." Jake replied shortly, not particularly wishing to speak to his aunt.

"Are you having an ice cream, Jake?" Grandad asked.

"Well…" Jake paused, looking helplessly over his grandad's shoulder at his mother who was nodding largely and signaling for him to say yes. "Yes." He said eventually.

Grandad beamed, "good. What flavor?"

"Strawberry please." Jake tried to smile, even though the thought of food made his stomach churn.

"I always said that was the best flavor!" Grandad said jovially.

Jake smiled weakly.

"Hey Karen! Come look at this!" Ben shouted suddenly.

"What?" Karen wandered over to where her brother was sticking out of a bush. He turned to face her, mum streaked across his face and grass stains on his knees.

"Do you want to see me eat some bugs?" Ben grinned at the look of repulsion that crossed his sisters face.

"Bugs?" Karen repeated in shock. "But you can't eat bugs, because… Because… Because they'd go all wriggly in your tummy and you'd feel them moving around in your throat!"

"No you wouldn't because they'd be dead." Ben pointed out.

"And also it's very cruel because it's not their fault they're bugs and now you're just going to eat them all up!" Karen glared at her brother.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Ben and Karen jumped, and then looked relieved as they saw it was only their brother Jake.

"I'm going to eat some bugs, only Karen won't let me because she thinks it cruel." Ben explained quickly.

"Well, you can't eat bugs, Ben." Jake told his brother.

"Why not?"

"Because if you a bug-"

"Two bugs," Ben interrupted, "a spider and a worm."

"Well if you eat two bugs then you will feel very sick, and I think Dad might pitch a fit if we both throw up in the cathedral."

"Why will we both be sick?" Ben looked at Jake curiously. "Have you been eating bugs too?"

"No, I haven't been eating bugs, I just feel sick anyway, and Grandad forcing me to eat a double scoop of strawberry ice cream didn't help." Jake scowled.

"You should have given that to me if you didn't want it, Jake." Karen tutted. "You shouldn't waste food or polar bears will die."

"No they won't," Jake shook his head at his little sister, before turning to his brother. "Ben put that down right now! Ugh, Ben don't eat… Oh my God…" Jake broke off, staring in disgust at his brother who had swallowed a whole worm.

"That is disgusting." He said bluntly.

"That was so cool!" Ben grinned. "I need a spider now!"

"Ben!" Karen hit her brother hard on the arm. "You can't eat little creatures!"

"Look I'm gonna tear this spiders legs off first so it can't move, and then I'm gonna eat it!" Ben sounded delighted with himself. "Look it's all gone!"

"Bug-killer." Karen muttered, stalking off back to her parents.

"I can't even believe you just did that." Jake said, looking slightly green.

"Kids!" Sue hollered. "Come on – hurry up! We're going into the cathedral now!"

"Boring." Ben whispered as he and Jake rejoined the rest of their family.

"Right, remember," Sue paused at the doors of the cathedral, "we're going into the whispering gallery, which means you have to whisper."

"Why?" Ben asked loudly.

"Shh… Because it's respectful. Look, it says on that sign there _'anybody speaking above a whisper will be asked to leave the gallery.'_ We wouldn't want to have to be asked to leave now, would we?"

Ben didn't reply, just ran through the doors, the sound of his trainers hitting the floor echoing loudly throughout the hall.

"Well, that's a good start." Pete muttered.

"Now, Karen." Auntie Angela bent down so that she was on the same level as her niece, a fake smile plastered across her face. "We're going to be quiet aren't we? And we're going to be very good for Auntie Angela."

"No." Karen shook her head honestly.

"I – I beg your pardon?" Angela blinked rapidly.

"No." Karen repeated. "I'm going to be very good for Mummy and Daddy, and for Jake and Ben, and also for Grandad. But not for you."

"Come on, Karen, that's enough of that." Pete made an apologetic face at Angela, and steered his daughter away firmly.

"I'd forgotten how beautiful this place was," Sue gasped as they took their seats in the whispering gallery.

"Mum," Jake whispered.

"Yes, darling." Sue looked around, and Jake was surprised to see she had tears in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked in concern.

"Yes, I'm fine." Sue smiled. "Just memories that all…"

"Oh, right." Jake looked around awkwardly.

"Sorry, dear, what did you want?"

"Oh, nothing… I just feel a bit sick, that's all." Jake swallowed.

"Sick? Oh God… Well, what type of sick?" Sue groaned.

"Well… Sick sick. You know… Just sick."

"Does your Dad know?" Sue glanced around.

"He thought I was lying," Jake admitted. "Oh, and I think Ben might be feeling a bit sick too."

"What makes you think that?"

"Just a feeling." Jake shrugged.

On the other side of the gallery, a similar conversation was going on.

"Dad, I feel sick." Ben announced.

"Ben, shush." His father hushed him. "This is called _'the whispering gallery' _for a reason, you know. Some guy didn't just think, 'oh, I'm going to make a room called the whispering gallery so I can shout in it' did he?"

"How do you know?" Karen, who was sat on Pete's other side, asked.

"What?" Pete looked at his daughter unsurely.

"Well, how do you know he didn't think that? Did you know him?" She questioned.

"No, but-"

"Well then…" Karen looked pleased at the fact she was right.

"Sorry, what did you say Ben?" Pete addressed his youngest son.

"I feel sick." Ben groaned.

"Did Jake put you up to this?" Pete asked suspiciously.

"No, I ate a worm and a spider and now I feel ill." Ben stated, honestly.

"Well… Wait, did you just say you ate a spider and a worm? Good God, Ben… Right, come with me." Pete stood up, taking Ben's hand. "Sue?" He caught his wife's eye and beckoned her over.

She hurried across with Jake. "Oh, Pete, I just wanted to speak to you – it's Jake, apparently he feels ill."

"Well, I've already spoken to him about his 'illness', haven't I Jake?" he raised his eyebrow at his son.

"Dad, I swear I'm not lying!" Jake protested.

"Shhh!" An old couple behind them glared at them. "This is the whispering gallery you know!"

"Sorry," Pete acknowledged. "Anyway, Ben was just telling me he felt sick, and when I asked him why, you know what he's gone and done? Only eaten a spider and a worm. Alive."

"My God." Sue muttered. "Right, we need to get Ben out of here-"

"Mum." Ben tugged on Sue's arm.

"Not now, Ben." Sue shooed him away.

"I could take him to the car-" Pete offered.

"He's not being sick in my car, I've just cleaned it!" Sue exclaimed.

"Mum…" Ben tried again to get his mother's attention, but she just ignored him.

"Well, I'll take him outside at any-"

"Mum!" Ben cried.

"What?" Sue snapped.

"Jake's just been sick," Ben laughed, "All over that man in the cloak!"

Sue and Pete turned to see their eleven year old son wiping his mouth on his sleeve and apologizing profusely to the priest, who was covered in strawberry-coloured vomit.

"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry!" Sue gushed, rushing forward to the priest, but recoiling slightly as the smell of sick hit her nostrils.

"Yes, we were just leaving," Pete came over, "our other son also… Ben!" He turned just in time to see his youngest son throw up all over Auntie Angela, who stood and started screaming abuse at him. Ben giggled cheerfully.

The priest opened his mouth, and then closed it again, apparently speechless at the amount of trouble one family could cause. The whole gallery smelt like sick, and everyone who was in it turned to look at the Brockmans.

"I am so sorry…" Pete bit his lip, trying to think of something to say.

The priest who looked like he was about to faint, choked out, "just go… All of you… And don't ever come back."

"Alright, come on Dad… Jake… Ben… Karen… Ben get off the altar!"

6


	2. Box Hill

**A/N: Hi people, wow I know two updates in a week – it must be a record! But I've been pretty bored and I guess it's just something to do so… Anyway, this is a chapter about the time Pete challenged Jake to a race down Box Hill, with disastrous consequences… Anyway, I'll let you read on ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Outnumbered**

Box Hill (Series 3 Episode 7)

"_Oh well, we all make mistakes, don't we?" Pete sighed. "Do you remember that time I challenged Jake to a race down box hill? It's a lot steeper than it looks…" He shook his head. "It's amazing how he only broke his collar bone really, when you think about how many cartwheels he did… 'Till hitting that sheep slowed him down…" He broke off._

"Dad, why do we even have to climb this stupid hill?" Jake complained. It was a classic English winter day – rain was pelting down hard on the Brockmans as they trekked up Box Hill miserably.

"Yeah, why Dad?" Jake's little sister Karen added.

"Because it's character-building, and because… Because… Because we can spend family time together, and… Erm… We…" Pete broke off, unable to think of any more reasons.

"Because we've got such good weather conditions?" Jake said sarcastically, looking out from under the hood of his coat, which was failing at keeping him dry.

"How come Mummy didn't come?" Karen asked.

"Well your Mummy is currently in some shopping center somewhere, having the time of her life no doubt." Pete sighed.

"Dad, can I fire a rock at that sheep to see what happens?" Pete's other son Ben came bouncing over.

"No." Pete said flatly.

"Can I fire a rock at Karen to see what happens?"

"No."

"Can I fire a rock at Jake to see what happens?"

"No."

"Can I fire a rock at you to see what happens?"

"Have a guess, Ben." Pete was losing his patience.

"Ok!" Ben grinned, placing the rock in his makeshift catapult and stretching it backwards before letting go. The rock pinged forwards, soaring through the air and landing directly on target – on Pete's nose.

"Ow!" Pete exclaimed. "Ben what part of no don't you understand?"

"Well you didn't say no – you just said take a guess."

"Well you obviously guessed wrong then, didn't you?" Pete growled.

"I suppose so," Ben chuckled mischievously. "But honestly Dad, you really should be clearer about what you mean."

"Oh, shut up." Pete muttered. "Is my nose bleeding?"

"Your nose is fine, Dad," Jake muttered, "Now can we please keep going and get this over with?"

"You three are in fine moods today." Pete grumbled as they walked.

"You can talk, Daddy." Karen looked up at her father earnestly.

"Yeah well I've got an excuse, haven't I? I've been attacked by some maniac armed with a catapult and a stone." Pete scowled.

"Dad, you know this whole walking thing was your idea, so you can't really take it out on us." Jake pointed out mildly.

"Oh be quiet Mr. Smarty-pants." Pete chuckled.

After about five minutes silence, where the family concentrated mainly on walking and saving their breath, Karen piped up, "I'm hungry."

"Well you shouldn't have eaten your crisps in the car then, should you?" Pete said.

"Well can I have my sandwich then?"

"Yeah ok." Pete gave in. "I suppose we might as well have a lunch break now."

The four of them sat down and took out their packed lunches.

Ben looked at his sandwich and groaned. "Anyone want to swap a ham for salami?"

"Yeah, I will." Jake volunteered. "Wait, have you, like, poisoned it or something?"

"No, it's just normal ham." Ben said innocently, handing his sandwich over.

"If you say so," Jake eyed his new sandwich suspiciously.

"Right, come on then guys – wagons roll! God I sound like your mother." Pete added under his breath.

"Aw do we have to?" Karen moaned. "I've only just sat down!"

"Come on, sweetheart, up you get." Pete offered his hand to his daughter.

"Can I have a piggyback?" Karen asked.

"Definitely not." Pete refused firmly.

"Oh, go on Daddy, please?" Karen gave him her cutest puppy dog eyes.

"Oh fine." Pete knelt down, and Karen whooped in delight, clambering onto his back. "Love you Daddy!" She squealed.

"I know." Pete muttered.

"Jake?" Ben ran to catch up with his brother.

"Yeah?"

"Who do you reckon would win between an elephant and a polar bear?" Ben looked up eagerly.

"Erm…" Jake paused for a second, the random question catching him off guard, "probably the elephant 'cause it would just stamp on the polar bear's head."

"Okay, what about a robot and an elephant?"

"What type of robot is it?"

"A massive one which has a massive laser with can zap anything into the black hole, and then the evil demon that lives in the black hole eats them up for breakfast!" Ben grinned.

"Well then probably the robot," Jake concluded. "But it would have to be helped by the evil demon."

"Of course," Ben said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Who would win in a fight – Batman or Spiderman?"

"Why do you even want to know all this?" Jake shook his head at his younger brother.

"It's interesting." Ben shrugged. "So who would win?"

"I have no idea." Jake took out his phone and glared at it. "Why is there no stupid signal?"

"Is that a trick question?" Ben looked at Jake confusedly.

"No, I was talking to my phone." Jake sighed.

"Well, why were you talking to your phone?" Karen piped up. "Can it reply?"

"No, I was just… never mind." Jake muttered.

"Oh come on, who would win?" Ben was determined to get an answer. "Batman or Spiderman?"

"Batman." Jake decided.

"Really?" Ben looked surprised. "I thought it was Spiderman… Oh well."

"Who would win in a race, a woodlouse or a spider?" Karen asked.

"A spider definitely," Jake said, "it's got more legs."

"What about a huge gooey nine-legged 5-eyed creature from another galaxy against a hippo?" Ben asked.

"Well, the alien because it has more legs and it's gooey so it can slip and slide all over the place!" Karen shook her head at her brother's stupidity.

"Who would win between Karen and a tiger?"

"Me!" Karen exclaimed.

"The tiger." Jake said bluntly.

"Who would in a race between Daddy and Jake?" Karen asked.

"Well, me obviously," Jake said, "I could beat Dad any day."

"Oh really?" Pete raised an eyebrow at Jake.

"Oh come on, Dad," Jake sniggered, "even Grandad beat you in that race we did last year and he's got arthritis and dementia."

"I don't see what dementia's got to do with a race." Pete defended himself. "And anyway, it was an egg and spoon race."

Jake rolled his eyes, "still…"

"Oh, so you think you can beat me, do you?" Pete grinned.

"I don't think, Dad. I know." Jake said confidently.

"Come on then, prove it. A race down Box Hill, just you and me." Pete goaded.

"I don't need to prove it Dad." Jake shook his head. "Just look at you."

"What do you mean, look at me? I read survey saying that men in the mid-forties are much more actively-able then most teenagers these days." Pete said.

"Well firstly, that's rubbish. And secondly Dad, you're not in your mid-forties – you're forty nine. And I'm not a teenager – I'm twelve. So that's a fail in itself." Jake pointed out.

"Oh come on, Jakester… A race down the hill will prove I'm faster." Pete nudged his son.

"It looks pretty steep, Dad." Jake bit his lip apprehensively.

"Are you being a chicken?" Pete shook his head regretfully. "Oh well, if you really don't want too…"

"Fine, I'll do it!" Jake snapped.

"But what about us Daddy?" Karen asked.

"Well you two can just follow us down and the loser will buy everyone a hot chocolate when we're all at the bottom." Pete decided, with a challenging look at Jake, who shrugged as if to say he didn't care.

Karen and Ben smiled.

"Right troops, on the start line!" Karen yelled.

Pete and Jake lined up next to each other.

"Ready to go down?" Jake smirked.

"On your marks…" Ben said, "Get set… Go!"

Pete set off, sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him. He was going so fast all the scenery was a blur and he felt so sure he was going to win this race. But suddenly he noticed a red and black stripy hoody and the distance that belonged to Jake and he gasped. He couldn't believe how far behind he was! He was never going to live this down, so he urged his legs to go faster and it must have worked a bit because before he knew it he was getting closer to Jake.

Suddenly, Pete's keen eyes spotted something that Jake hadn't – a stone which could easily be tripped over and Jake was heading straight for it.

"Jake!" He cried. "Watch out for the stone!"

Jake, thinking this was some sort of tactic to get him to slow down, just turned his around and stuck his tongue out at his Dad, but as he did so tripped on the stone that sent him flying down the hill at a remarkable speed.

"Jake!" Pete screamed. His son was flipping down the hill, almost doing cartwheels, and every time his head hit the ground again and again Pete flinched at the thought of the pain his son must be going through and how much damage was going on.

Pete ran faster than he ever had in his life, determined to save his son. What he got brain damage, or broke his back and was paralyzed for the rest of his life, or broke his neck and…

_No. Jake couldn't die._

Just as he thought his son would never slow down, and that he was going to keep on rolling until the hill ended and the main road began, Jake smashed into a sheep (of all things) which seemed to slow him down a bit, before slamming into a fence and crunching to a halt.

The whole world slowed down as Pete raced towards his son who was lying still at the bottom of the hill. Pete bent down to his son who was curled up on his side, and prised him onto his back so he could check for injuries.

"Jake?" Pete whispered. "Jake, speak to me."

It was torture for him to have to watch his son curled on the ground whimpering, his face twisted in agony.

"It's alright, Jakey." Pete soothed. "I'm here. Now tell me where it hurts."

"Neck." Jake moaned.

"Right," Pete was so relieved to hear his son speak, that he didn't properly comprehend what Jake had said and it was a few moments before the severity of those words hit him. "Wait, your neck?" He gulped. "Are you sure?"

"Daddy!" Karen cried, running towards her father at top speed. "What's happened to Jake?"

"Karen don't run!" Pete yelled, an image appearing in his head of his daughter falling like Jake had. "Jake's just had a bit of an accident so I'm checking if he's ok."

"Is Jake gonna die, Dad?" Ben, who had somehow appeared at Pete's side without him noticing, asked an uncharacteristically serious look on his face.

"No, he's not." Pete said firmly, trying to erase all doubt from his mind. "Now, Ben, I need you to be very grown up for me and I need you to ring Mummy on my phone." Pete handed his youngest son his mobile.

"Alright," Ben nodded.

"Now, Jake, are you sure it's your neck that hurts?" Pete checked.

Jake was very pale and sweating, despite the freezing temperature and it seemed to take a lot of effort for him to open his mouth and reply, "a bit below my neck…"

"Okay, now I want you tell me if this hurts." Pete brushed his finger lightly over Jake's collar bone. Jake yelped and flinched away.

"It's ok…" Pete stroked Jake's hand comfortingly. "Ben, are you speaking to Mummy?"

"Yep," Ben said, "I just told her Jake fell down the hill and he's probably broken his neck." He paused. "And I think she's crying."

"Oh God," Pete sighed. "Give the phone here. Sue?"

"Oh, Pete," His wife sobbed down the phone.

"Don't worry, Sue, his neck's not broken I don't think – that's just Ben… Being Ben… No I think it's his collar bone… Yes it is that bad… Well I didn't think the hill would be that steep… I know it's my fault… Alright I'll ring the ambulance now… See you soon, bye."

"Are we getting an ambulance?" Karen looked up interestedly.

"Yes, and Mummy's coming to pick you two up as well because we can't all ride in the ambulance." Pete replied.

"Aww…" Ben moaned. "I wanted to go in the ambulance.

Pete rolled his eyes. "Well, you can't."

"If Jake dies can I get his laptop?"

About fifteen minutes later (although it felt like a lifetime to Pete) the ambulance turned up. A paramedic questioned Pete, while others loaded Jake into the ambulance.

"Well, yes I did challenge him to a race, but I didn't know how steep it was." Pete protested.

"This isn't the first time your kids have ended up in casualty, is it Mr Brockman?" The man surveyed him with suspicion.

"If you're saying that I harm my kids on purpose…" Pete began angrily.

"I'm not saying that at all, Mr Brockman, I am merely concerned about your… Ah… Responsibility when it comes to your children."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Pete fumed.

The man looked at him calmly. "Will you be riding with your son in the ambulance?"

"Yes, yes of course, Pete said distractedly. "My wife will be coming to pick up my other children now… Ben, get off the ambulance!"

"Hmm…" The man said.

"Oh look, she's here now." Pete waved to a car that was just pulling up. "Over here, Sue!"

Sue, who looked incredibly harassed and worried, stumbled out of the car and ran straight to Pete. "Pete… Is he ok?" She mumbled into his sweater as she hugged him.

"He's got a broken collar bone, Mrs Brockman," The paramedic informed Sue, "but he should survive."

"Thank God," she breathed with relief. "Pete, I'll take the kids home and then arrange for a babysitter and come to the hospital."

"Good," Pete said quickly. "Right, well I guess I'll be getting in the ambulance now."

"Oh, and don't think you've got off lightly," Sue added with venom in her voice, "challenging your twelve year old son to a race down Box Hill? We're going to be having serious words when we get home. Karen, stop harassing the driver – let's go!"

Pete gulped.

6


End file.
